Fortune Society, Inc.

Programs: Housing services: our housing programs empower homeless, formerly incarcerated individuals and their families the opportunity to build better futures through stable and affordable housing. By providing low-threshold access to supportive emergency and transitional housing at the fortune academy ("the castle"), supportive permanent housing at castle gardens and through our scatter-site housing program, we meet both the immediate and long-term needs of our clients. Participating clients are able to take the first steps on their journey towards becoming positive, self-sufficient members of society with the full support of fortune's reentry services. In 2013, we served 425 individuals across all of our housing programs. This number includes 199 scatter-site clients, 182 fortune academy residents, and 67 active supportive housing clients at castle gardens . Major successes across the three programs included 95 scatter-site clients remaining free from eviction for at least 1 year, 103 fortune academy residents maintaining sobriety as of the last quarter, and 64 castle gardens residents with no re-arrests.

substance abuse treatment services: our nys office of alcoholism and substance abuse services (oasas)-licensed outpatient substance abuse treatment services program empowers clients to address and overcome substance dependency issues. Our supervised outpatient treatment program provides client-centered treatment that is geared towards the overall improvement of each client's mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Every client begins his or her journey with a full assessment and program orientation, followed by intensive individual and group counseling. We also offer lifetime `aftercare, so our clients know they can rely on us to help them navigate future challenges. In 2013, we served 393 in our substance abuse treatment program, and 82% of those served discontinued drug use.

alternatives to incarceration (ati): our ati programs reduce the prison and jail population, save taxpayers millions of dollars, and each year help hundreds of men and women learn how to lead crime-free, productive lives. Clients participating in our ati programs are still under supervision in the community, but they also receive the life-stabilizing services they desperately need. Those who complete their program successfully receive sentences that require no further incarceration, including probation and community service. In 2013, we enrolled 212 participants in our ati programs and saved taxpayers $1,114,131 which would have otherwise been spent on the costs of their incarceration. In 2013, our program successfully graduated 71% of clients eligible for completion, and also saw 11,461 days of incarceration displacement.

other programs provided at fortune society consist of the following:discharge planning / preparing for release: the new individualized corrections achievement network (i-can) program provides skill-building and discharge preparation services to eligible men and women during their incarceration on rikers island, continuing reentry support following their release. We help them prepare for release by applying for identification documents, providing parenting classes, group counseling, professional development, job training, education, and relapse prevention workshops. I-can provides ongoing support to individuals as they transition back into the community in all areas key to successful reentry. In 2013, we enrolled 596 participants in our i-can program. We worked with 129 of them at fortune, including 67 who made to step 3 of moral reconation therapy (mrt), 40 who completed i-can's workforce 101 program, and 57 who were in need of and placed in housing. Single stop: the single stop benefits assessment and referral program is an integral part of fortune's admissions and intake process. We help clients find out if they are eligible to receive public benefits from any of the government programs available to low-income individuals. We then work with clients to navigate the application process so they can secure critical benefits such as snap (food stamps) and medicaid and stabilize themselves financially. In addition, the program connects clients with expert advice to help with a wide range of issues, such as child support, evictions, accessing and correcting rap sheets, legal services, financial services and credit assistance, and much more. In 2013, we enrolled 1,490 individuals in our single stop program, assisting them obtain a value of $1,408,909 in cash and non-cash public benefits. Notable accomplishments in 2013 included 447 snap benefit receipts, 478 new medicaid recipients, 148 financial counseling sessions, and 232 legal counseling sessions. Education: our education program empowers clients to achieve personal and professional goals and make progress toward the high school equivalency (hse) diploma, attending college, and preparing for today's job market. Clients have the opportunity to develop essential reading, writing, math and computer skills with the support of fortune's dedicated teachers, counselors, and tutors. Our small class size allows each individual to progress at his or her own pace in an environment where all students feel respected and have a say in what they are learning. In 2013, we enrolled 432 students in our education programs, and 40 students passed the ged exam. In 2013, 230 students received more than 36 instrucitional hours, and 111 received more than 100 instructional hours. Employment services: our employment services program is designed to equip formerly incarcerated job seekers with the skills necessary to obtain employment and thrive in the workplace. We offer a variety of services to help job seekers begin their careers and seek professional advancement. Our 2-week job readiness workshop teaches clients how to network, excel in job interviews, problem-solve, answer difficult conviction questions, and create a professional resume and cover letter. Individuals completing the workshop receive career counseling, job placement assistance, and support with job retention. Fortune also offers skills training which provides industry-recognized certifications, including green jobs training and culinary arts training. Clients who complete the training receive job placement and career advancement services targeted to their desired career field. In 2013, we enrolled 1,002 individuals in our employment services program and placed 59% of them in jobs at an average starting wage of $11. 70/hr. In 2013, 618 clients completed our job readiness workshop and we had 178 job (re)placements. Of those clients in our 2012 cohort, 76% met their 90-day retention goal, 835 met their 180-day retention goal, and 55% met their one-year retention goal. Family services: our family services program helps connect clients with their loved ones by supporting personal growth and the development of essential life skills. We offer an array of group and individual services to meet the unique needs of formerly incarcerated mothers, fathers, and expectant parents. Our men and women are given the opportunity to learn vital interpersonal and parenting skills, develop the tools needed to escape a life defined by crime and/or substance abuse, and become positive role models for their children. Clients also receive assistance with child support cases and family reunification issues. In 2013, we enrolled 234 individuals in our family services program we (re)instated child support payments for 38 new clients, and 60 clients successfully completed our parenting skills program. Health services: our health services team offers clients rapid hiv testing, prevention education, case management and connection to quality, community-based treatment and care for individuals living with or at-risk for hiv/aids. This holistic and integrated approach to serving formerly incarcerated men and women living with hiv/aids, or at risk of developing hiv/aids, helps ensure their safe and healthy transition back into the community. In 2013, we enrolled 300 individuals in our drop-in center program which helps people living with hiv/aids on rikers island transition back into the community, and we served 141 in our hiv/aids case management services. In 2013, the drop-in-center linked 121 clients to care in the community, while our case management program linked 138 clients to care. Mental health treatment services: as of july 2011, fortune now offers mental health services through the better living center (blc), our nys office of mental health (omh)-licensed article 31 outpatient mental health treatment clinic. The blc works to facilitate a seamless transition for individuals with mental health issues who also have histories of incarceration by providing the supportive environment, treatment, and therapy they need to manage their mental illness, while also making progress towards achieving their other life goals. In 2013, we served 241 clients through the blc's mental health services. Notably, we performed 234 psychosocial evaluations, screenings and diagnoses, and maintained an average of 230 individual psychotherapy sessions per month. The total amount of all other program is: